Most champignons de Paris, otherwise known as button mushrooms, aren’t really from Paris, nor are they even from France. But this could soon change. Almost 90% of the so called “Paris” mushrooms are from Eastern Europe. However, a mushroom negotiator, Maison Vialade, who until now got his supply from Poland, has decided to grow his own French mushrooms and relaunch the sector. The small to medium sized family-run company has just opened an enormous mushroom farm in Olette, near Perpignan.
They say that it does not cost a lot more to farm in the Pyrénées, rather than import from Poland, as they have less transport costs and the mushrooms are fresher. The mushrooms will also have a better traceability, quality and be sold for more. The 4,500 hectares they have set up really will be competition for imported mushrooms, as until now the French mushroom sector has been made up of small farms.
Maison Vialade explains that mushrooms used to grow in the catacombs, but when the metro was built they were moved to the suburbs and then to the Saumur region. Globalisation led to a plummeting in prices and producers could no longer make a profit.